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Speed of sound indicates how fast sound travels through a certain medium.

In dry air at 20 °C, it is about 343 m/s. In water, it is about 1,480 m/s, and in solid materials like steel, up to 5,000 m/s.

It depends on the medium and its temperature. Rule of thumb: The denser the medium, the faster sound propagates.

Example from everyday life:

During a thunderstorm, you often see the lightning first and then hear the thunder. This is because light travels much faster than sound. If you count the seconds between lightning and thunder, you can calculate how far away the storm is:

Rule: For every 3 seconds, the distance is roughly 1 kilometer, since sound travels about 343 m/s.
Example: If you count 6 seconds between lightning and thunder, the storm is about 2 kilometers away.

By counting the seconds, you can use the speed of sound to easily estimate how far away the storm is.

⚙ schallgeschwindigkeit